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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. track — to keep track
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a committee
  7. file — a line of people
  8. track — a song
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mug — a face
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. staff — a stick
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a document
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mug — a cup
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com